As of 2021, breast cancer was the most common cancer around the globe. It is estimated that around 1 in 8 American women will be affected by breast cancer at some point in their lives. The prognosis for breast cancer is generally favorable if caught early, with a 5-year survival rate of around 90%.
However, data suggest that disparities in race and region can significantly impact breast cancer severity and outcomes. Black American women, in particular, may be faced with more complex challenges than other women.
This study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology for the 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting, provides some valuable insight into the dilemma of racial disparities in breast cancer. Data were gathered from the 2016-2018 Nationwide Inpatient Sample, in which patients with a primary diagnosis of malignant breast cancer were identified. The patient data were stratified according to race, gender, hospital region, treatment received, and family history.
Ultimately, it was found that out of 99,543 patients with metastatic breast cancer, around 67% were Caucasians, 17% were African Americans, 9% were Hispanics, and 3% were Asians and Pacific Islanders. Deaths in African Americans were found to be significantly higher than in Caucasians, which was further supported by significantly increased odds of dying in African Americans compared to Caucasians.
In closing, health providers may want to take a closer look at their diagnostic and treatment strategies for breast cancer. While the exact reasons for racial disparities in breast cancer are unknown, socioeconomic and lifestyle factors may play a role. Better screening techniques for breast cancer are warranted, especially in people of color [1].
Source:
[1] Singhal, S., Desai, D., Khosla, A., Lanade, O., & Potdar, R. (2022, June). Racial and regional disparities in metastatic breast cancer [Poster discussion session]. 2022 ASCO Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL. https://meetings.asco.org/abstracts-presentations/209510
